Keep pushing until you get it, and I'll help you until you do
by Hypnotoad76
Summary: Jeff's having trouble getting a job after graduation. Annie takes it upon herself to help Jeff during this difficult time.


**First Outcome: **

Jeff sighed as he took off his suit jacket and unclipped his tie tack. The morning hadn't gone exactly as he expected it to go. True he was a little out of practice when it came to job interviews. But a part of him thought he'd get an offer before the meeting was over. Even with the whole fake degree thing, he'd still been one of the best lawyers in the state. That had to count for something.

Just as he was loosening his tie he heard a knock on the front door. "Yeah?"

"Hey Jeff, its Annie_" _

"Come in, it's open."

"Kay" He smirked in spite of himself as she walked in and brushed past him. "How come you're all dressed up?"

"Oh, you know. You look good and you feel good," Jeff exclaimed, not wanting to get into the real reason he was wearing a suit.

Annie made a noise that indicated she guessed Jeff wasn't being quite truthful before nodding towards his window. "I just came to get the curtains I brought over last night. Unless you want to keep trying them out?"

"I'm good. For the love of God, take them back."

She rolled her eyes as she pulled a stepstool over and started removing them. "You're a grumpy Gus this morning. If you're tired we can always get some coffee."

"Thanks, but I'm not tired," he said as he helped her take them down. "I actually just came from a job interview."

"Oh, how'd it go?" She frowned as the look on Jeff's face said it all. "Oh, I'm sorry. Wait, I thought you were going back to your old firm after graduation?"

"I am. But I wanted to have some job options before I graduate. Or maybe try and leverage a bigger salary from my old firm by having other offers on the table."

"Well, at least you have your old job to go back to."

"Yeah there's that, which is why I'm more annoyed then upset."

"I don't know, you seem kind of upset to me."

"Annie, believe me, you would know if I was upset."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Second Outcome:**

Annie groaned as she opened her eyes, groggily getting out of bed as the front door buzzer kept continually buzzing. She was about to yell at Troy and Abed to answer the door when she remembered they had gone to Denver for a sci-fi panel. Begrudgingly she made her way to the living room and pressed the buzzer. "What?"

"Annie!"

"Jeff? It's two in the morning."

"Can I come in?"

She buzzed him in and unlocked the door, begrudgingly hoping that his slurring didn't mean what she thought it did. Sadly her suspicions were confirmed when he stumbled inside reeking of scotch. "You're drunk."

"Astute observation. I knew you were the smart one." He giggled as she walked him over to the couch and dumped him on it. "You're strong for a tiny person."

"Thanks," she said in annoyance. She got him a glass of water before joining him on the couch. "It's the middle of the night Jeff. Why'd you come here and why are you drunk?"

"Cause I'm celebrating. A toast to the end of my career, and the four years I wasted for it," he slurred as he raised his water glass in the air.

"Jeff, what are you talking about?"

"I'm taking about my old firm. That after saying all I had to do was get my degree, they just _decided_ not to take me back."

Annie's anger quickly evaporated as she realized what Jeff was saying. "Jeff, that's horrible."

"Oh, like you're upset. I finally got my comeuppance after being a jerk all this time."

Annie scooted over so she was next to Jeff, ignoring his verbal barb as she put her arm around him. "Jeff, I never wanted you not to get your job back. You deserved it after spending four years completing your degree. This really sucks."

He chuckled darkly as he leaned into her. "I knew it might not happen after what happened with Allen during the sandwich trial. But when I found out he was gone I figured I was safe."

"So what happened?"

"They changed their minds, that's what happened. They came to the conclusion that having someone who lied about his degree in the practice outweighed all the wins I have, and all the money I brought in."

Jeff suddenly stiffened as he felt his stomach lurch upward. He quickly jumped off the couch and raced to the bathroom. Annie sat there as she heard the door slam shut, followed by the sound of Jeff emptying the contents of his stomach.

_I really hope he made it to the toilet_, she grimly thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Jeff's eyes shot open as he smelled the scent of coffee wafting through the air. He desperately wanted a cup, but didn't have the strength to move. He glanced around without moving his head and saw that he wasn't in his apartment, but rather Casa AnnTroBed. Summoning all of his strength he pulled himself upward and leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes.

"Morning." He begrudgingly opened his eyes as Annie came over and set a glass of water next to him, along with a couple Tylenols. "Here, this will help."

Jeff took the pills and downed the entire glass as Annie tentatively sat down next to him. "Thanks."

"No problem. Though I can't say the same for getting you back on the couch. You're built to solid to be easily dragged."

"Huh?"

"You passed out in the bathroom after you threw up and I had to practically drag you out of there," she clarified.

Jeff groaned as he leaned back. "I'm sorry that had to happen."

"It's okay. I've dealt with an end of the night drunk Troy and Abed, so I've had practice. And at least you didn't continually tell me why having Kickpuncher and Inspector Spacetime on the same show would be the greatest thing ever." She took a sip of her cup of coffee before looking over at Jeff. "Why did you come here last night?"

"I don't know?" he said truthfully. "The last real thing I remember was walking out of the bar and wanting to get a burger. I didn't even know I came here until I woke up."

"Oh," she said quietly.

"What happened last night?" he asked.

"You came over and told me about what happened with your old firm." She gave him a somewhat guilty look at how stricken he looked at having to relive that. "And then you threw up and passed out."

"Right," he said dully.

She leaned into him as she took hold of his hand. "I know I told you this last night, but I'm really sorry. This sucks and you deserved to get your job back. But I'm going to help you. I'm going to make sure your resume is tip top and do anything I can to make sure you get a job as soon as possible."

"Annie, thanks. But I don't need you to go all study buddy on me. I'll be fine."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Third Outcome: **

"Are you ready to order Miss?"

"Not yet, I'm still waiting for someone."

Annie fidgeted uncomfortably as the waiter walked away. She was nervous, and hoped when Jeff arrived he had good news. She had asked him the other day if he wanted to meet her for lunch this afternoon. He said yes, but to make it after one because he had a job interview at 11:30am.

She really hoped he got the job at this firm. After what happened with his old firm he had been understandable upset whenever she saw him. And she really wanted him to be happy.

She picked at her bread basket and drew patterns in the crumbs accumulating on the table when suddenly she saw Jeff walk across the room and sit down across from her. "Jeff, hey. How was the-." She trailed off as her eyes spotted the glass of scotch in his hand. "Is that a celebratory drink?"

"Nope. This is the drink of a man who managed to blow an interview."

"Oh Jeff." As he brought the glass to his lips she quickly took the drink from his hand.

"Hey, I was drinking that."

"Jeff, I know you're upset. But you shouldn't drink when you're upset."

"Why, it helps?" He started grabbing it back when she quickly drank the liquor as fast as she could. Jeff looked on in surprise as her eyes widened and she started coughing and making gagging noises. "Seriously?"

"Oh god, that burns." She gulped some water down, relaxing as her throat stopped feeling like it was on fire. "How can you drink that stuff?"

"It's an acquired taste. And while I normally enjoy women taking interest in my preferred spirit, what the hell was that?"

"Jeff, you can't get drunk every time you have a job setback. Is this what you're going to do if you don't get the next job? Or the job after that?" she asked.

"I didn't plan my failures that far ahead, but that's probably how I'll go."

"Jeff, I know this is difficult for you. But this isn't how you should handle this. When I got out of rehab and was cut off and couldn't get into a decent college I was devastated, and would have loved nothing more than to dull my sadness in drugs and alcohol. But I pushed through it without drinking or using. And you should to."

Jeff sighed as he slumped down in his chair. "I hate this."

"I know. And I'm sorry. Jeff, I know you didn't want my help before, but I'm still willing to help you with this. I'll look over your resume and help you spin your degree situation so it's a positive instead of a negative and do whatever else I can."

Jeff begrudgingly sat up as he thought over her offer. While he didn't want to face it, she might be potentially right about needing help to get a job. If he couldn't spin his undergraduate situation during this last interview, then maybe he needed someone to help him.

"You'll really help me?"

"Of course. That's what friends do, help each other."

Jeff chuckled at the smile Annie was giving him. In spite of it all, she could still make him feel better.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Fourth Outcome: **

"THIS SUCKS!" Jeff screamed as he punched the wall near his island, leaving a slight dent in the plaster.

Annie involuntary flinched from Jeff's outburst as she sat on the bar stool in Jeff's kitchen, even though she wasn't scared that he would hurt her. She felt terrible, knowing how much Jeff has researched this last law practice and how much they had prepared him for the interview. He should have gotten the position easily.

"Maybe you'll still get it," she said hopefully. "They said they'll call you."

"Annie, I've helped interview people. When a hiring lawyer says 'I'll call you', it means they have no intention of hiring you. If they wanted to hire me they'd have offered me the job right then and there." He groaned as he sat down on a stool next to her. "I really thought I had this one."

"I know Jeff. And I can't tell you how sorry I am. But it's not the end of the world. We'll just pick ourselves up and steer ahead. And you have another interview on Friday. We'll work hard and before you know it you'll be celebrating your return to the work force."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Fifth Outcome: **

Annie felt at a loss as she stood in Jeff's living room. Sadly this was starting to become a pattern. She'd meet him to see how a job interview went, only for him to tell her he didn't get the job.

As she looked him she was struck by how depressed he looked. She'd almost prefer him to scream and rant like he did on Wednesday. This quiet Jeff just seemed so defeated, so ready to give up.

"Jeff," she said as she sat down next to him. She wasn't even sure what to say at this point. But she decided to just plow on through. "I'm sorry. I really am. But we'll going to keep going and tackle the next one."

"There isn't going to be a next one," he said dully.

"What you mean. You have another interview next Thursday and we'll-."

"I don't care. I can't do this anymore. I'm done."

"Jeff, you don't mean-."

"Yes I do Annie," he said with a true tone of finality. "I'm sick of being rejected by people I could take apart in a courtroom. I'm done with shitty interviews and I'm done with all of this."

He continued to look off into space, so he wasn't at all prepared when Annie suddenly slapped him right across the face. He cradled his cheek as he looked at her in shock. "What the hell was that for!"

"That was to hopefully drag you out of this funk. Because I'm not going to stand here and let you give up on what you love doing. To waste the last four years you spent working towards being a lawyer again."

"So you hit me?"

"Okay, that may have been a bit much." She pressed on despite the glare he gave her. "But you can't just give up like this. You have to believe that you're going to get a job. You're a great lawyer."

"No, I _was_ a great lawyer. Now I'm a failed lawyer who lied about my degree and has been out of the game for the last four years. That's all anyone sees when they look at me."

"Well that's not what I see." He looked at her as her voice took on an almost inspirational edge to it. "I see someone who worked to correct a mistake they made instead of running away from their problems. I see a man who managed to win a number of impossible cases even without a bachelor's degree. And I see someone who will put true effort and conviction into something he truly loves and believes in. And you love being a lawyer. You just have to believe in yourself, and put all of your passion and belief into everything you say to that interviewer. So they can believe what I believe: that Jeff Winger is the best lawyer a firm could ever hope to ask for."

His eyes widened as he looked at her face, startled by the complete and total conviction she had in him. "Annie-."

"No. You don't get to 'Annie' me on this one, because I'm right. I believe in you Jeff. But you have to believe in yourself, and believe that this _will _happen. Yes, you may not get this next job, and you may stumble. But you _will_ get a job. You just have to work for it, and know that every day is a struggle but it's worth it if you know you only need yourself to succeed." She hung her head as he gave her a funny look. "Okay, some of that at the end may have been what I was told in rehab, but the principle is the same. You can't give up on yourself. Not when you have so much going for you."

As Jeff sat there he couldn't believe how much this woman believed in him. He had never had someone believe so strongly in him before. True, his mom had believed in him, but it was blind belief without anything to back it up. Annie saw the true potential in him, and refused to let him not see it. No one had ever seen that in him before.

As she used her hand to comb some hair behind her shoulder he had a strong urge to kiss her. But even he knew this wasn't the time to act on such an impulse. So instead he said to her, "Have you ever thought about growing your hair long?"

"My hair is long," she said simply.

"I mean really long. Like all the way down your back. It looks great now, but you'd look incredible with long hair."

"Thank you." She smiled sweetly before it just as suddenly disappeared from her face. "Wait, no. You can't compliment your way out of this. You have to promise me you're not going to give up and that you have to believe in yourself. Promise me!"

"All right, I promise," Jeff said, almost believing it himself. "I promise," he repeated again, only this time taking out the almost and truly believing in himself as much as she did.

**Sixth Outcome: **

Jeff walked out of the law office of Myers & Guster in a daze, not able to believe what had happened. He was vaguely aware that he had to show up first thing Monday morning, but after he heard 'you're hired', everything else was just a blur.

_I did it_, he thought. _I got the job_. The tiny feeling of relief and happiness that had been inside of him ever since he was told he had the job kept growing and expanding with each step that he took. By the time he made it out of the office building he pumped his fist in the air with a cry of happiness, startling the people passing him by. After all those rejections and doubts that this would ever happen, he'd finally gotten a job. A really good job where he would be making even more then he would have if his old firm had taken him back.

As he got in his car he thought about Annie, and how her constant pushing and believe in him had led to this wonderful moment. While he was going to tell the group, it was only fair that she'd be the first one to know. He quickly texted her to meet him at his place before he sped on back to his building.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Jeff pulled into the parking lot and made it to the front of his building just as he saw Annie approach him. "How'd you get here so fast?"

"I was on my way when you texted me. I wanted to see how-."

"I got the job."

"What?" she said as she blinked rapidly.

"I got the job," he repeated as he smiled.

A wide smile broke through her face as she squealed in delight and jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around him as she hugged him tightly. "I knew it, I knew you would do it. I'm so proud of you Jeff. Oh my god, you got the job!"

Jeff smiled as he held onto her, if possible feeling even happier due to Annie's jubilation. As she continued to excitedly praise him he looked at her. And then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do, he kissed her.

She froze for a moment before kissing him back, only to again freeze after several moments of their impromptu make-out session. Slowly she unwrapped her arms from his shoulders as she disconnected herself from him. "What was that?"

"That…was something I should have done a long time ago. Annie, you believed in me when no one else did, not even myself. You pushed me and never gave up on me in a way no one has ever done for me before."

"So that was what, a thank you for all my help?" she said in a clearly unhappy tone.

"No, that's not…what I meant was, you seeing all that in me has made me realize I wasn't just missing what I should have seen in myself. I was also refusing to see what should have seen in you. That you were the only one I was able to share all of this with. That even if I don't remember doing it, I came to you when I needed someone to help me when I lost my promised job. That even at my lowest I kept coming to you, because you made me feel better. When I'm with you, I'm better. And I like being with you. So…I want to be with you."

She continued to look at him before she smiled and let out a laugh. "If you really mean it, _if, _then you can take me out tomorrow night. Tonight I'm taking you out to celebrate your much deserved success. And I _refuse_ to start this with me _again_ paying for a date. So tonight it's just a meal between friends. But tomorrow, that's something else."

"I can't wait," Jeff said with a smile.


End file.
